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Florida Panthers Recall Chris Tierney

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After sending him down a few days back, the Florida Panthers recalled forward Chris Tierney today from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, according to a team tweet.

The 28-year-old veteran of more than 500 NHL games joined the Panthers this past offseason, somewhat surprisingly, on a two-way deal. His offensive production had trailed off throughout his four seasons with the Ottawa Senators, and he couldn’t crack the team out of training camp through a deep Panthers offensive lineup.

That’s led to Tierney not being a full-time NHLer for the first time since 2014-15, his first professional season. Even then, he was point-per-game in the AHL and played the majority of his games that season in the NHL.

Tierney has done well in the minors, recording 16 points in 20 games, but scored just three goals. Things have seemed to go better than expected for him in Sunrise, though, as he has three points through his meager five NHL appearances this season. It’s especially impressive given his minimal usage, as he’s played under eight minutes per game with Florida.

It’s unclear what exactly motivated Tierney’s recall, as Florida doesn’t have any injuries necessitating his presence. It could be that the Panthers want as large a roster as possible for their upcoming West Coast road trip, which they now do with 23 healthy skaters.

Ondrej Palat Activated From Injured Reserve

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The New Jersey Devils have removed Ondrej Palat from injured reserve, according to the NHL’s media site. Tyce Thompson, who was recalled recently, no longer appears on the roster and according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com is being sent to the Utica Comets. The team also has recalled Akira Schmid, but had an extra roster spot available already so didn’t need a further transaction.

Palat, 31, hasn’t played since October 24 when he logged more than 20 minutes for the first time in a Devils uniform. He would undergo groin surgery a week later, meaning he would miss most of New Jersey’s incredible start to the year. Now that the Devils have started to falter, there’s no better time for the Stanley Cup champion to get back into the lineup.

Though he isn’t an elite offensive player, you will have a hard time finding any former linemates that would say a negative word about playing with Palat. He is the kind of good-at-everything player that every team relies on, and is a consistent presence at both ends of the rink. Marian Hossa-lite, he’s been called in the past, as he allows linemates to cheat offensively while covering a lot of the defensive responsibility.

That’s what the Devils were hoping to add when they signed Palat to a five-year, $30MM contract last summer. The front-loaded deal, which pays him $8.25MM this season, also came with a full no-movement clause for the first three years. The veteran forward is supposed to be able to lend his championship experience to one of the youngest groups in the league, and he’ll be welcomed back to try and help turn things around after a recent skid.

That turnaround may have already started with a decisive 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings last night, but there are some challenges coming on the schedule. The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes, both division rivals, are on tap after tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

Snapshots: Flames, Cicek, Brickley

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The Calgary Flames had one of the wildest offseasons we’ve seen in quite some time, watching two 100-point players go elsewhere and bringing in three All-Star-level talents to try and replace them. It hasn’t gone perfectly, with Jonathan Huberdeau especially looking a little uncomfortable with his new team, but things are starting to move in the right direction.

At least, that’s what general manager Brad Treliving explained to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis in a long Q&A. Treliving also admitted that the team is still on the lookout for a top-nine forward to add to the group, though hinted that it could be an internal candidate. Jakob Pelletier, the 21-year-old first-round pick from 2019 continues to score at a high rate in the minor leagues but has yet to receive an opportunity in the NHL.

  • The yo-yo session continues for Nick Cicek, who was recalled again by the San Jose Sharks today. That’s already three transactions since the month began for the young defenseman, who is getting his first chance at the NHL level and has four points in ten games so far.
  • Daniel Brickley, once a hyped college free agent signing by the Los Angeles Kings, will continue his career with the famous MODO Hockey in Sweden’s second league after a move from Vasterviks IK today. Brickley, now 27, played five games for the Kings in the years following his excellent career at Minnesota State-Mankato but quickly found himself falling down depth charts and toiling in the ECHL. He left for Sweden this season and has scored 28 points in 31 games so far.

Cavan Fitzgerald Clears Waivers

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Jan 5: Fitzgerald has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 4: The Carolina Hurricanes have placed Cavan Fitzgerald on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. That would indicate that he is ready to return from the injury that has kept him out all year, and put him on season-opening injured reserve. It was undisclosed, but he missed all of training camp as well, meaning he’ll probably need some time to shake the rust off before becoming a call-up option for the Hurricanes.

Not that he is first in line anyway, given Fitzgerald still hasn’t appeared at the NHL level. Signed by the San Jose Sharks as an undrafted free agent out of the QMJHL, he played two seasons for the San Jose Barracuda before the organization decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. Some AHL contracts followed, before the Hurricanes converted his deal into a two-year, two-way NHL contract in 2021.

Now 26, he’ll serve as organizational depth should he clear (which is all but guaranteed) and help the Chicago Wolves try to turn around their disappointing season. The club sits at 11-15-4 on the year and has allowed the second-most goals in the league.

Injury Notes: Wheeler, Kane, Gustavsson

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Cole Perfetti, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nate Schmidt were all expected to jump back into the lineup soon for the Winnipeg Jets, but they had another nice surprise at practice today. Blake Wheeler was present in a full-contact sweater and practicing on the top line. All four players were taking regular turns, suggesting that the team is getting a huge group of reinforcements all at once. To make room, they will need to move at least one other player off the roster. Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet reports that Michael Eyssimont is not on the ice.

While it still leaves Mason Appleton, Logan Stanley, and Saku Maenalanen on injured reserve, getting Wheeler back is big news for the Jets. The 36-year-old seemed rejuvenated this season (like so many other Winnipeg players) and had 26 points through 29 games before going down to injury. Though he is seeing the lowest average ice time since his days with the Boston Bruins, Wheeler has been great and should be another big boost for a Jets team that is still within striking distance of the Central Division crown.

  • After leaving early on Tuesday night, Patrick Kane’s status was completely unclear. When he was absent as practice started for the Chicago Blackhawks today, alarm bells rang out. Luckily, it seems like he has avoided serious injury, as the Blackhawks listed it as a maintenance day. Andreas Athanasiou was also missing with a non-COVID illness. With so many fans expecting Kane to be the belle of the trade deadline ball this year, a serious injury could throw a wrench into the next few weeks. Hopefully, this will prove to be nothing more than a minor ailment that needs some rest.
  • During last night’s game, Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson was suddenly removed from the net. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic afterward that he didn’t know what was going on, only that Gustavsson “skated off and puked his brains out.” Michael Russo of The Athletic confirms today that it was an illness, not an injury, that caused the departure and that there is no recall anticipated by the Wild.

Winnipeg Jets Reassign Kristian Reichel

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Jan 5: Reichel has been loaned back to the AHL, potentially clearing room for the return of Cole Perfetti, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Nate Schmidt. During his two-game recall, the young forward recorded an assist and averaged just over 10 minutes of ice time.

Dec 29: The Winnipeg Jets have recalled minor league forward Kristian Reichel from the Manitoba Moose, giving them an extra body as they prepare for tonight’s match against the Vancouver Canucks.

This is Reichel’s first call-up of the season after signing a new two-year, two-way contract last spring. The son of former NHL forward Robert Reichel, Kristian played in 13 games for the Jets last year, recording two points.

Undrafted, Reichel has just two goals and eight points in 25 games with Manitoba this year but is a responsible defensive player and can slide onto the fourth line if needed. With the Jets on a bit of a slide, losing three in a row and six of their last ten, they may shake things up with a new face to try and generate a win.

The club takes on the red-hot Canucks, who have turned around an early season swoon and are right back in the Pacific Division race. Vancouver has won seven of ten and now find themselves just five points behind the Edmonton Oilers with two games in hand.

Philadelphia Flyers Send Felix Sandstrom On Conditioning Stint

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After activating Carter Hart from injured reserve yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers did not immediately send a goaltender to the minor leagues. It was a curious decision, given Samuel Ersson could be loaned without exposing him to waivers. Today, they’ve explained why, by sending Felix Sandstrom on a conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That does not require him to pass through waivers. The team has also recalled Kieffer Bellows from the AHL with the extra roster spot they had.

Sandstrom, 25, has essentially been overtaken by Ersson on the depth chart and has appeared just once in the last month despite Hart’s brief absence. The former top prospect has an .888 save percentage in nine appearances this season and has lost seven of them, looking shaky almost every time he entered the net. The only thing saving him from being assigned to the minor leagues more permanently is his waiver status, which would require the Flyers to expose him before sending him down.

Given that goaltenders are the most frequent waiver claims, that could be risky, though it is rather obvious who the team would prefer as the backup right now. Ersson has played well in Hart’s place, getting the last three starts and allowing just six goals on 86 shots. All three were wins, something the Flyers haven’t been able to say very often this year.

Some fans will suggest that it isn’t even a good thing. The Flyers sit 14-17-7 on the year and don’t look to have any chance of competing for the playoffs, but runs like their current win streak also push them further away from lottery contention. The club now sits 26th in the league, and 15 points ahead of the last-place Chicago Blackhawks. Eventually, they will have to make a decision on whether or not to expose Sandstrom to waivers or send Ersson back down.

Bellows, meanwhile, is coming back up after once again showing that he can score regularly at the minor league level. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders earlier this season and struggled with his new club, failing to register a point in 12 Flyers games. But in 11 matches with the Phantoms, he has nine points and was back to playing his physical, gritty game. If the 2016 first-round pick has any NHL potential left in him, there’s no better time to show it.

Boston Bruins Place Jake DeBrusk On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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It’s even worse than originally reported for Jake DeBrusk. The Boston Bruins have placed the forward on long-term injured reserve with hand and lower-body injuries, suffered in the Winter Classic on Monday. DeBrusk was seen after the game in a walking boot and reports suggested he broke his fibula. The Bruins say his recovery timeline is approximately four weeks.

In his place, the team has recalled Chris Wagner from the AHL.

DeBrusk managed to score the tying and winning goals in the outdoor game, but will now be sidelined for at least the next ten Bruins’ matches. Without him, the team is expected to elevate Taylor Hall to the top six, their best chance at replacing DeBrusk’s offensive production. The 26-year-old has flourished under new head coach Jim Montgomery, with 16 goals and 30 points in 36 games so far this year.

If there were ever a team that can absorb a loss for a little while, it might be the Bruins, who have built up a big lead through the first half of the season. The club is an incredible 29-4-4 on the year and sits nine points ahead of their closest division rival. They’ve done it with exquisite depth at every position, meaning they should be able to work through the absence of one player.

Even his roster replacement should not be overlooked. Wagner, 31, has more than 350 games of NHL experience and was a regular with the Bruins as recently as 2020-21. While he doesn’t offer nearly the same offensive upside – he has just 37 goals in his entire career – he can slide into a vacant spot on the fourth line and contribute nicely. The team was already carrying $225K of his $1.35M cap hit despite being buried in the minor leagues.

Because they had such little cap space, DeBrusk needed to be moved to LTIR if a replacement was going to come up. It will also technically give the team enough space to recall another player if they choose, as they had been operating with a 22-man roster to this point.

Latest On Cam Talbot

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The Ottawa Senators have had an up-and-down season. After it looked at first like the team couldn’t escape the ghosts of disappointing seasons past, strong play over the past few weeks has them back in the extended playoff conversation.

A big part of this improved performance has been the goaltending duo of Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot, who has helped bring out each other’s best in a tandem role. Talbot’s started 20 out of Ottawa’s 38 games despite missing time early in the season with an injury, and both he and Forsberg have recorded save percentages above the .910 mark.

It’s goaltending that’s good enough to get you into the playoffs, and it’s goaltending that’s good enough to win you a round or two. That’s why it’s not surprising that Talbot, an ageing veteran netminder on a young and developing team, wants to stick around to see it through. Talbot told reporters today, including Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, that he’s ready to sign a contract extension with the Senators if the team is interested in retaining him.

While there haven’t been any formal talks, Talbot’s ability to sign an extension was hampered by his not being ready for the start of the season.

The team likely still wants to see a bit more than a 20-game sample size before committing to him for another handful of years. With Forsberg signed until 2025, at least half of their goaltending situation is set until then. While Talbot has been a good fit, a tandem/1B netminder (perhaps a younger one) is generally attainable in free agency.

If Talbot is able to maintain strong numbers through February, a one- or two-year extension is likely a somewhat safe bet for the Senators to get cost and personnel certainty at a pivotal position.

Minor Transactions: 01/04/23

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As the calendar turns to the new year, most attention in the hockey world is rightfully turned toward the ongoing 2023 World Junior Championship. But other levels of play are back on track, making roster moves and proceeding as normal. We’ll cover all the notable minor moves today from across the hockey sphere right here.

  • A high-end undrafted free agent and NHL camp invite is taking a bit of an unusual path. Defenseman Clay Hanus, who had 74 points in 68 games as the captain of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks last year, has joined Mount Royal University in Canada for the second half of their season, per Ben Steiner. Hanus was a member of Pittsburgh Penguins camp and played two games this season with their ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.
  • The AHL’s Calgary Wranglers today released defenseman Simon Lavigne from his AHL contract, per the league’s transactions log. Lavigne, a first-year pro, had not earned a callup to Calgary, instead notching 12 points in 22 games with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush.

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